Genesis

Alexander is a regular guy with a wonderful family.

A loving, caring mother, and a cute younger brother who always tries to imitate their father, Blake, in everything.

Blake was a responsible man who tried to follow his principles, he almost never lied and always kept his promises, he also always tried his best to take care of his family and to keep everyone around happy.

He likes to show himself to his children as a man who lives by his morals and makes sure to follow them no matter the situation, and like any loving father, he is always ready to sacrifice even himself for the sake of his family.

Lara, Alexander's mother was a very beautiful woman.

She tried to take care of her sons' needs since the day he was born with the utmost diligence, or so Alex and his brother were told by their father.

Alex didn't remember the earlier years, but as far as he could remember, Lara used to fulfill his and his brother's every wish as long as it was even remotely possible, that is until things started going downhill ...

Alex was 7 or 8 at the time, his brother was 4 or 5, and his mother was in her early 30s like his father.

At first, things were bearable ...

Lara used to feel breathless, unable to do any work, and she would get fatigued very quickly.

She thought that sleeping or resting would solve her problem, but no matter how much sleep she got, her condition didn't improve ...

Things got serious quickly, so Blake took her to various doctors until the reason was known ...

At the time, Alex didn't understand much, but he knew one thing ... His mother was not well and her health was not improving.

As a result, the home's atmosphere stopped being lively or cheerful, and there was always a sense of gloom hovering in the air.

As time passed, Lara's family - her parents and siblings - came to visit more.

Alex noticed that he and his brother received more toys and looks of pity from the female side of the family ...

Naturally, he knew that the reason was his mother, but he didn't know exactly why, and there was nothing he could do about it anyway, so life simply went on ...

On a certain day when Alex was 11, Blake returned home with a bright smile on his face.

That was the first time in a long while Alex saw his father in a good mood.

Blake had some papers in his hand and he quickly went to Lara ...

After the two spoke, Lara became energetic and happy as well, and Blake told Alex and his brother that soon, Lara will be okay again ...

This memory was one of the happiest in Alex's life, but sadly ... Fate had other plans.

A year passed, and the gloominess returned to the family's home.

One night it seemed that Blake and Lara came to an agreement about something, and on the very next day the family moved to a smaller apartment ...

Alex later came to know that for some reason, Blake sold their old house and his car, along with some other valuables Lara had.

When Alex asked about the details, his father said

"A home is only a home because we're all in it together"

And gave Alex a vague explanation that these things were sold for a good purpose and that someday he would understand everything, but he should focus on spending more time with his mother and studying for now.

Alex agreed and didn't ask about that matter again, and another year passed ...

As time moved on, Lara's condition only worsened ...

When the situation got REALLY serious, Blake decided to take a leave from his work and stay by her side, until the very end ...

And the end came soon ...

By the time Alex was nearly 14, and his brother, Oliver, was 11, Lara died.

The entire situation was heartbreaking, no words could express how they as a family felt, and since that day, something in Blake changed for good.

As time passed, Blake started putting more responsibilities on Alex.

Blake made him take care of all of Oliver's matters, whether regarding upbringing or school.

He also made Alex manage the family's budget and take care of anything necessary related to it.

As a result of all this, Alex became a lot closer to Oliver and became a very responsible teenager.

By the time Alex was 15, Blake contacted one of his friends and asked him to arrange a part-time job for Alex ...

He didn't really force Alex, he just told him that it was the right thing to do and that he expected him to accept it and take it seriously, and so Alex did.

Quickly, another year passed ...

Alex was 16 and Oliver was 13.

After Alex's 16th birthday, he told his father that he wanted a full-time job.

Blake quickly agreed and arranged a decent job for him within a few days.

After 2 months, when Alex received his second salary, Blake had a serious conversation with him.

He explained how Alex has become a man now, and that he can be independent whenever he wants ...

He also told him that he still had the responsibility of Oliver and that he expected him to teach Oliver everything he taught him.

Blake explained to Alex that from that moment on he was no longer going to treat him as a child but as an equal, and that from now on he'd have to act as a real man and keep his word.

"A man's word is a sword on his neck" Blake said

After that conversation, Alex had many more serious discussions with his father, and according to Alex

'Dad makes me feel like he's one of those Knights I used to read about in fairy tales'

He told Alex to never lie, to be kind, to help those in need, to set boundaries, and to never let anyone harass him or his loved ones as if his life depended on it.

He also told him to protect those whom he is supposed to protect with his very soul if needed

'And he said, most importantly, there are things that are unforgivable'

Alex still remembers how Blake's eyes gleamed dangerously after saying that.

'Makes the hair on my neck stand...'

After Alex's 18th birthday, his father had a final conversation with him:

"There's nothing left for me to teach you, you've grown into a fine man ..."

A faint smile appeared on Blake's face

"I'm truly proud of you Alex"

He put his hand on Alex's shoulder and continued

"I expect you to take care of your brother, it's about time that you find him at least a part-time job ... you have got to make sure that he grows to become a responsible and decent man"

Alex put his hand on the back of his neck and said with an awkward laugh

"Haha, Dad, don't talk like you won't be around to make sure of that"

"Regardless, I'm just telling you what I expect from you"

Alex nodded

"I understand"

The two locked eyes for a brief second and the conversation paused for a while ...

Eventually, Blake broke the silence by saying

"I transferred the apartment's ownership to you, I also created a bank account for you, the account contains a decent amount of money, it won't last for years but it should be sufficient for a while if you face difficulties and have no income.

Check the papers in my office for more details."

Blake's tone was very serious, so Alex asked

"Dad, is there something going on?"

Blake spoke solemnly

"You can say like that, but aren't you more than ready anyway?"

Alex felt uncomfortable, but he didn't say anything, so Blake continued

"You'll soon come to understand everything, just trust me, okay?"

Alex replied with narrowed eyes

"I trust you Dad, but you're making me nervous"

Blake smiled wryly

"I'm sorry ..."

He quickly continued

"It's late, we should get some sleep"

Alex sighed

"... Alright, good night Dad"

For some reason, Alex hugged his dad before he went to sleep that night ...